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Grappling All the Way to the Olympics

For the first time in world history, this year every country competing in the Olympics has a female athlete on its team. This historic moment was made possible when Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and Qatar permitted women to be included in their delegations. Although the Saudi clergy believes that exercising is contrary to a woman’s natural role, two weeks ago they ...

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Graphic Details: Interview with Trina Robbins

Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women is the first museum exhibit to explore this unique niche of autobiographical storytelling by Jewish women. The touring exhibit, sponsored by The Forward, features the work of 18 Jewish women artists. The Jewish Women’s Archive is interviewing each of the artists about their work and their experience as a female, Jewish graphic artist.This week’s interview is ...

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Graphic Details: Interview with Miriam Libicki

Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women is the first museum exhibit to explore this unique niche of autobiographical storytelling by Jewish women. The touring exhibit, sponsored by The Forward, features the work of 18 Jewish women artists. The Jewish Women’s Archive is interviewing each of the artists about their work and their experience as a female, Jewish graphic artist.This week’s interview ...

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Graphic Details: Interview with co-curator Sarah Lightman

Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women is the first museum exhibit to explore this unique niche of autobiographical storytelling by Jewish women. The touring exhibit, sponsored by The Forward, features the work of 18 Jewish women artists. The Jewish Women’s Archive is interviewing each of the artists about their work and their experience as a female, Jewish graphic artist.Today we spoke with ...

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Graphic Details: Interview with co-curator, Michael Kaminer

What began with a 2008 story about autobiographical comics by Jewish women in The Forward has developed into a touring museum exhibit. Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women is the first exhibit to explore what co-curator Michael Kaminer calls a “unique and prolific niche of graphic storytelling” by Jewish women. The exhibit features the work of 18 Jewish women artists, some of which ...

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Gotcha! An Imaginary Poison Acorn in the Forest

Gotcha! Going back to 2006 we’ve written on occasion about the valueless and tiresome right wing sport called, “Gotcha!” That is what we call it when some conservative activist finds some small item in the verdant forest of liberal and progressive politics and holds it up for ridicule. The notion behind Gotcha! is that some small defect invalidates the whole ...

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Good Bye Best Buy

In 1976 the electronics store was called “The Sound of Music” and one of their main locations was on Hennepin and Lake Streets in Minneapolis.We bought a Panasonic stereo there and enjoyed it for nearly 20 years.The store became Best Buy and a powerhouse national franchise.Alas now the company is in disarray trying to stay afloat in the midst of ...

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Golf Practice, Daily Talmud Study, and “the Illusion of Competence”

We liked this WSJ article for two reasons. First, we agree that spending lots of time at the driving range does not translate directly into better golf shots on the course.Second, we agree that practice sessions can lull one into the “illusion of competence” in golf and in many other activities in life.We like the concept and now we are ...

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Going to Shul in the Morning Sucks

I’m sitting in shul slumped in my chair. I look like a drunk with a bad hangover. By this juncture, I’m wondering what on earth possessed me to get out of bed this morning. Sure, my guilty conscience, ahem the yetzer tov awoke me from some awesome dream and encouraged me to get to shul. I’m not willing to believe that women, ...

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God’s Favorite Final Yom Kippur Prayers and the Shofar Blowing that Ends the Fast

Here is what we say in the final pages of our new book about God’s Favorite Final Yom Kippur prayers and the Shofar blowing that ends the fast:[At]…the final shofar blast at the close of the Yom Kippur fast, …the six disparate synagogue voices coalesce in brief shared characteristic prayers.So let me recall for you one moment of recurring spiritual grandeur each ...

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God’s Court Jester

A conversation with my brother:Me: You know the classic yeshivish argument: God is good because look at everything he does for us. Why would he create us out of nothing and give us watermelon and babes and sunshine, right? That’s probably what philosopher cows think too. “This is the life. Hanging with my cows, eating grass, banging other cows, I’m ...

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God doesn’t care if you wear a black hat

The RaHaF ZT”L in his sefer nefesh hahesh brings down a story of a man who left his body and went to the beis din sehl mala where he spoke to God about gaining entry into Olam Habah:I saw a long table that was catered by someone I would have never eaten by in my physical body, it was laid ...

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